Couple takes fresh approach to firing up Ottawa Beach Pizza Co.

Thursday

Jun 19, 2014 at 5:00 PM

By Brian.VanOchten@hollandsentinel.com(616) 546-4279

The frequent pizza requests from diners at Ottawa Beach Inn on the north side of Holland prompted owners Eric and Sue Chaitin to contemplate making it part of their menu.It’s now part of their operation, but with a unique twist.The Chaitins, who became owners of Ottawa Beach Inn at the beginning of this year, have opened Ottawa Beach Pizza Co. in a separate building in the same parking lot as the restaurant.It started serving up fresh, hot pies Thursday morning.“I feel really good about it,” said Sue Chaitin, who celebrated her 50th birthday by opening the pizzeria. “The main thing is we want to make pizza that tastes really good, so we’re not skimping on the ingredients. We’re using fresh toppings. As chefs, Eric and I are pretty picky.“We’re making the kinds of pizzas we like.”Sue Chaitin is leading the pizza operation, which is housed in a 500-square-foot building in a Cape Cod style that fits with the cottage-like surroundings near the Lake Michigan shoreline.The pizza company offers 16-inch pies and pizza by the slice for takeout or delivery to a limited area.It has thin, traditional and 10-inch, gluten-free crusts and more than 30 toppings — everything from arugula, kale and spinach to five different cheeses, including fresh mozzarella and goat, plus five sauce options. The dough is made fresh, and all of the toppings are fresh.“There just seemed like a void for pizzas along the lakeshore,” Eric Chaitin said. “Our customers have been asking for pie. We want to try and exceed people’s expectations for pizza.”He said the approval process from Park Township to add the pizza business on the existing restaurant property went so smoothly, he and his wife were able to complete the project in just 2˝ months.Ottawa Beach Pizza Co. is open from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.It will employ 14 people and, if all goes well, the Chaitins say they’re planning to remain open year round. It also has gourmet salads and is making plans to add sub sandwiches.The Chaitins, who made a $200,000 investment in the pizza operation, will use a golf cart to make special deliveries to Holland State Park, which attracts an estimated 1.2 million visitors per year.Their purchase of Ottawa Beach Inn is expected to be finalized next week.“Sue and I have been cooking together for 10 years,” said Eric Chaitin, formerly the executive chef at Watermark Properties in Grand Rapids. “I wouldn’t let anybody else on the planet run one of my kitchens. She’s a talented chef in her own right, and the pizza company is her concept.”It just made sense to open a pizza joint since there’s nothing else within 4.2 miles of the state park, Sue Chaitin said.“There’s really nothing else if you want pizza. People from the park and summer homes want something within walking distance,” she said. “I think we’ve hit a home run here, and I think people will really like it.”— Follow this reporter on Twitter @BizHolland